Flashing me a grateful look, he turned and ran to the stage doors. I fired off a quick text to Dad, and one to Auntie Jane, then hurried back into the theatre. Seconds later, WOLF BRETHREN appeared on the stage in their weird werewolf outfits, and wild clapping broke out. I picked my way back to my seat, impressed at the cheers. Obviously, WOLF BRETHREN were more popular than I’d realized.
Once they started playing, I understood why – they were REALLY good. Liam’s guitar playing had improved with all the extra practice and the lead singer didn’t shout half as much as the last time I’d heard them play. Maybe Liam’s dream of being a rock star isn’t as mental as I’d thought.
Shenice looked as surprised as me that they didn’t suck. She pulled this AMAZED face as I sat down. I didn’t tell her what I’d been doing; I’d wait for an update from Dad before I explained.
WOLF BRETHREN finished in a flurry of drums and wailing guitars. Around me, people got to their feet and cheered. I chewed my lip anxiously – the overall winner was going to be a tough one to call. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure Molly had it in the bag after all.
The final act, REPERCUSSION, came onto the stage. There were about ten of them, mostly from Years Ten and Eleven. They had no instruments but some carried tin cans, others had a couple of long thick sticks and a few had brooms. No one in the audience seemed to know what to expect. Then Shenice gasped.
“I know what this is!” she whispered to me. “My dad took me to see this show in London called STOMP. Basically, they sort of drum, using everyday objects. I bet that’s what REPERCUSSION are going to do.”
I grimaced – it sounded like a terrible idea. But then they started to play, softly at first with a tip-tapping rhythm brushed out on the floor with the bristles of the brooms. Gradually, it built up with more and more sounds from the unlikeliest of instruments – who knew a fast-food carton could carry a tune? Soon, the whole theatre was rocking to the beat of the tin cans, bottles and sticks. The brooms were replaced by steel drums and the movement was so fast it was hypnotic. I watched, mesmerized, and even forgot about Mum and Dad and the babies for a few minutes. By the time REPERCUSSION reached a crescendo, it sounded as if every single person in the theatre was tapping their feet to the beat. As the final crash of drums died away, there was a moment’s awed silence and then we all went crazy. I had no idea brushes and cans could sound so cool!
The applause lasted for AGES but I was too busy checking my phone for a text from Dad or Auntie Jane to clap for long. My stomach TWISTED again as I saw the blank screen – no news had to be good news, right? As the noise started to die down, Mrs Pitt-Rivers came back onstage and told us it was decision time. All around me, people started to pick up their voting slips. I stared down at mine and tried to push my concern to one side. Half an hour earlier, I’d been sure who had my vote but now? My pen hovered over WOLF BRETHREN for a second – they had totally smashed it and Liam WAS my brother after all, even if I usually tried to pretend he wasn’t. And for a minute back then, when he’d been worried about Mum and the twins, he’d almost seemed human. But Molly had been amazing too and we’d been friends for ever. Well, apart from the last six weeks, obviously, but that didn’t matter any more. Making up my mind, I placed a big tick next to her name and looked over at Shenice in time to see her do the same. Molly might not be everyone else’s choice but she was definitely a WINNER to us.
Chapter Nineteen
“Well, I’m sure you’ll all agree that St Jude’s has a lot of very talented students!”
After a lifetime of waiting, during which I checked for messages so often that my phone grew hot, Mrs Pitt-Rivers was back onstage and ten nervous-looking acts were lined up behind her. A sheen of sweat glistened on Liam’s forehead and Molly looked like she might vom at any moment. Sneaking another quick peek at my phone, I decided I knew how she felt.
“The votes have been counted and the judges have deliberated,” the Deputy Head went on. “Now it’s time to announce the winner of ST JUDE’S HAS GOT TALENT!”
I held my breath and crossed my fingers. Would it be Molly? Or had one of the other acts beaten her to it?
Holding up a sheet of paper, Mrs Pitt-Rivers cleared her throat. “In third place… MOLLY PAPADOPOULOS!”
I let out a loud whoop and clapped so hard my hands stung. Beside me, Shenice stamped her feet in appreciation. Molly looked genuinely delighted and waved at the cheering audience.
“In second place…WOLF BRETHREN”
I felt a momentary burst of automatic INDIGNATION – Molly had been way better than the band – before I remembered that WOLF BRETHREN had been good and I cheered along with the rest of the crowd. But if Liam was second and Molly was third, who had come first?
“And in first place, after a breathtaking performance… REPERCUSSION!”
The applause was so loud I thought my eardrums might burst. REPERCUSSION stepped forwards to accept the trophy and the cheque from the smiling Headteacher. Shenice looked at me with a shrug. Neither of us could deny that REPERCUSSION had been brilliant and probably deserved to win. But I could tell we both wished Molly had taken first place.
As REPERCUSSION smiled and lifted their prize, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Hardly daring to breathe, I read the text message.
Twins have landed! Get here as soon as you can! Love, Dad x
My heart swelled until I thought it might pop. Reaching across to Shenice, I flung my arms around her. She stared at me, shocked.
“Er…okay. What’s going on?”
I showed her my phone and an enormous grin crossed her face. “CONGRATULATIONS!”
“Thanks!” I replied, and the word came out as an excited squeak. “I can’t believe I’m a big sister at last!”
Looking at the stage, I caught Liam scanning the crowd for me and gave him a big thumbs up. Grinning, he returned the gesture. As the acts stood around congratulating each other, the bell rang to signal the end of the school day and everyone got ready to leave the theatre. My phone buzzed again. This time, it was Auntie Jane. Stuck in traffic! Be there ASAP xx
Swinging my bag onto my shoulder, I squeezed past Shenice again. “I’d better go, my aunt is on her way. I’ll send you a pic as soon as I have one.”
She nodded. “Give them a kiss from their Auntie Shenice.”
I was halfway down the stairs when I heard someone call my name. Turning, I saw it was Nathan. I stopped and waited for him to reach me.
“Shame about Molly,” he said. “But REPERCUSSION were good, I suppose.”
“Yeah, they were. And Molly looks happy with her third place.” I smiled. “At least she beat the poodle.”
“True.” He coughed and cleared his throat. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said he was nervous. “I wondered if you were around this weekend? I thought we could do some quiz cramming together or something.”
My mouth fell open. I closed it fast. Was he asking me out? Or did he mean a full Team SJ cramming session? Then I remembered that it didn’t matter much, either way; I wasn’t free.
“Actually, I’m just on my way to the hospital,” I explained. “My mum has had the twins.”
His face lit up. “Really? How cool – congratulations!”
How to handle my reply so that I didn’t look like an idiot if he’d meant a group meeting? I pondered. “But I’m definitely free over the Christmas holidays.”
He grinned. “Good to know.”
I smiled back and we stood grinning at each other for ages, until Nathan blinked and said, “Uh – hadn’t you better get going?”
OMG, he was RIGHT. But there was something I had to do first.
Molly saw me coming but before she could say a word, I held out my hand. In it was a WHAM BAR.
“Truce?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from wobbling.
I thought for a moment she was going to refuse it but then she took the sweet and nodded. Before she could change her mind, I threw my arms around her in a MASSIVE hug.
“You were B
RILLIANT! I totally voted for you!” I squealed.
“Thanks,” she said, hugging me back. “That means a lot, especially as WOLF BRETHREN were so good.”
Another day I would have asked her if she was mental, but not today. “Yeah, they weren’t bad.” I hesitated and then rushed on before I lost my nerve. “Please can we stop fighting now and be friends? I’ve really missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” she replied, her eyes shining.
“Listen, I have to go and meet the twins. But I’ll call you over the weekend. Oh, and Shen is here somewhere, if you want someone to share that WHAM BAR with.”
She smiled and suddenly it was like the last six weeks had never happened. “Thanks, I will. Speak soon, Cass.”
I left her and found Liam, deep in mutual congratulations with one of the REPERCUSSION team. I waited for him to spot me and stop talking. It didn’t happen and I realized that our brief moment of being something like equals was over.
Well, almost over. “Hello? Auntie Jane will be here any minute,” I said, interrupting the budding bromance. “Are you ready to go?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah, my HOMIES will sort all my stuff out. Let’s blow this joint.”
Now that he was no longer scared about Mum and the babies, his usual dorkiness was coming back. No one says homies any more. Shaking my head, I followed him out of the theatre but I couldn’t hold down a feeling of excitement. My BFFs were mended, Nathan may or may not have just asked me out (squee!) and I was about to meet the twins for the very first time. Roll on Monday, I thought gleefully. Me, Molly and Shen had A LOT to talk about.
Chapter Twenty
It took so long to get through the traffic that I was pretty sure the twins would be WALKING by the time we reached them. The hospital smelled of bleach and antiseptic but, given we were surrounded by newborn babies, it could have been a lot worse.
Mum was in her own little room, away from the hubbub of the ward. After her waters had broken, she and dad had rushed to the hospital and had got there with minutes to spare. He’d had to abandon the car outside the labour ward and hurry inside with a heavily panting Mum. The midwives had just got her onto a bed when the first twin, JOSHUA, had arrived. His sister, ELSIE, had appeared a few minutes later.
“I didn’t even have time for any drugs,” Mum said, wincing at the memory. “Although your dad had a bit of the gas and air.”
Huh, that sounded about right, I thought as Dad stayed completely unembarrassed. I bet the midwives had loved him. I only hoped he hadn’t broken out into Elvis, the way he had when both me and Liam had been born. And I really hoped he hadn’t plumped for “RETURN TO SENDER”.
The twins were even more SCRUMPTIOUS than I’d imagined they’d be. Gazing at my brother and sister with their tiny squashed-up faces, lying nose to nose under the funny little knitted hats the nurse had given them, I felt a sudden rush of love for my family. Now that the twins were here, it felt like we were somehow complete and I was determined to be the best big sister ever. Of course, they’d have the worst big brother to put up with, too, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. And he might not be so bad anyway; judging from the SOPPY look on his face, he was just as besotted with them as me.
I looked up at Mum and Dad, clearly exhausted but radiating happiness and felt a PDA coming on. Don’t tell anyone I said this but maybe – just maybe – I’m glad I’m not adopted after all.
Hot off the press from Cassidy Bond, Star Reporter
Read on for a sneak preview…
Chapter One
“Once upon a time there was a girl called Cassidy. She was gentle and kind, in spite of being poor and having a cruel older brother. Everyone loved her, especially her faithful dog, Rolo, and her besties, Molly and Shenice. She lived in a rose-covered cottage in the middle of the woods and every morning, she sang so sweetly that even the birds stopped to listen—”
WHAT IS THAT SMELL?
What IS it? Seriously, it is like something has died in my room. The twins are asleep in Mum and Dad’s room – surely it can’t be them? Then again, nothing would surprise me where Joshua and Ethel’s bottoms are concerned. Having lived through some of their nappies in the last five months, I am amazed our house hasn’t been declared a biological hazard. I know they can’t help it but I am pretty sure I didn’t do that when I was a baby.
I SUPPOSE it could always be Liam – he is almost fifteen and smells worse than our wheelie bin. But I think he is round at a mate’s house and even he does not stink that much. Whatever the cause, it is making my eyes water. How am I supposed to turn my life into a fairy tale using less than five hundred words for double English tomorrow when the atmosphere around me is more poisonous than Saturn’s? Some people might say it is my own fault for leaving my homework until eight o’clock on a Sunday evening but that hardly helps me now, does it? There isn’t even any way I can use the pong as an excuse for not doing my essay – ever since we came back after the Easter holidays, the teachers at St Jude’s have been drumming into us that the end-of-year exams are just around the corner. Never mind that it is only the end of April and the exams are not until June – apparently, even physical evidence that the dog has eaten your homework is Not Good Enough.
Which brings me to the only other stinky suspect – my dog, Rolo. When I asked for a puppy for my tenth birthday, I didn’t know we would somehow end up with one who was part chocolate Labrador, part T. rex. NOTHING is safe around him, as my dad found to his cost when he left one of his Elvis Presley wigs lying on the sofa and came down the next morning to find only the tufty black quiff left. And as the old saying goes, what goes in, must come out – pretty sure I don’t need to draw you a picture. But as disgusting as Rolo is, he doesn’t usually do his business in the house. And this smell is so bad, it can only be an inside job. I wonder if I can work it into my fairy tale somehow – CINDERSMELLA, maybe. Urgh. I will have to turn one of Mum’s bras into a gas mask at this rate.
It’s no good, I am going to have to investigate. Hey, maybe that could be my talent – I could be a great detective and solve crimes. One mystery…three suspects…a dangerous mission to uncover the truth…
Alright, it’s not exactly Sherlock Holmes but even he had to start somewhere.
Mum and Dad were slumped on the sofa when I went downstairs. Mum was gently snoring and Dad was so engrossed in an ELVIS documentary that he hadn’t noticed the smell.
“Although now you come to mention it, there is a hint of Brussels sprouts in the air,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “Is Liam home?”
I shook my head. “It’s either the babies or Rolo.”
“Or both,” Dad suggested, pulling a face. He glanced at Mum, who chose that moment to let out an especially unladylike snort. “Shall we investigate? I’ll be Doctor Who and you can be my assistant.”
“No, thanks,” I said, following Dad up the stairs. “I’ll be the Doctor and you can be the sidekick.”
The stink that greeted us when we opened the door was unbelievable. And we soon realized why – Joshua had had the kind of nappy malfunction they don’t show you on the adverts. I’m not joking, his vest was basically an enormous brown stain, starting at his bottom and stretching all the way up to his neck. It looked like someone had spray-painted him while he slept.
Dad clamped his hand over his mouth. “Ah fink ee ave fan ver cubrit.”
I pinched my nose. “Whad?”
He removed his hand and winced. “I said, I think we’ve found the culprit.”
I couldn’t argue with that – the evidence was pretty overwhelming. What I couldn’t get over was the way that Ethel was sleeping soundly next to him, completely unaware that WORLD WAR POO had begun beside her. Backing away from the horror, I left Dad to it and went to get the changing stuff.
Half an hour later the smell was STILL lingering, even though Dad had sorted Joshua out and opened a window to let some air in. I was back in my room and doing my best to concentrate on my homework, but the stin
k seemed to be getting worse.
After several hard sniffs, I decided that after all that the pong might actually be coming from under my bed, which kind of ruled out the twins. I thought about calling Dad again, but then I remembered that a good investigator does her own dirty work, so I took a deep breath and peered under the bed. And there, staring up at me, was a very embarrassed-looking Rolo. Holding a cushion over my nose, I leaned closer and saw he was encrusted from head to toe in something brown and smelly. The parts that weren’t crusty seemed to be oozing. I have no idea what he’d rolled in – have the neighbours upgraded their tabby to a pet elephant or something? And it was just typical that he’d hidden in my room instead of Liam’s. There’s all kinds of rubbish and fluff under my bed, which probably explains why he had a Starburst wrapper stuck over one eye and – URGH – the pong! Let’s just say it made Joshua’s little accident seem like a walk in the rose gardens.
I have texted Molly and Shenice, letting them know that POOMAGEDDON has struck and that I might not survive the clean-up operation.
It’s at times like this I wish we’d got a cat.
Latest news from Cassidy Bond, Star Reporter!
So I started this petition to let girls wear trousers at St Jude’s, and everybody’s talking about it – including Kelly, Year Ten editor of the school magazine. And now she’s asked me to be her new star reporter – yay!
Even better, I’ve already sniffed out a *big* exclusive. Because someone’s set up a nasty gossip website about people at school – and if I can identify the mystery blogger, it’ll be the scoop of the century!
Check out the latest gossip at www.completelycassidy.co.uk
Meet Tamsyn Murray
Tamsyn’s special talent is writing and she is the author of many books for young readers.
Tamsyn’s family is only slightly less crazy than Cassidy’s. She lives with her daughter, son, five rabbits, one dog, one cat and one husband.
Completely Cassidy – Accidental Genius (Completely Cassidy #1) Page 8
